Staying Safe Inside Liberia's Ebola Zone

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Liberia

Priority number one: Do not spread the Ebola disease. Priority number two: Do not catch it.

With these twin priorities in mind, cameraman Dave Rees and I set off for the north of Liberia.

We were going to the epicentre of the world's most serious outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus to try to find out more about it and the efforts being done to combat its spread.

We took a case-load of protective gear provided by Sky News. It was mostly waterproof all-in-one outfits with goggles and plastic gloves - all easily disposable once used.

Ebola is spread by infected people or animals - through close contact with infected blood and other bodily fluids such as sweat and tears.

There's also a possibility of contracting the virus through indirect contact - by touching infected clothes or furniture for instance, or even eating infected food.

It was imperative that we remained on high alert for the entire time we were in the infected zone - a period of about four days.

Dave also took a plastic covering for the camera so he can still film. But we were prepared to destroy the camera too if needs be.

Crawford started by wearing an all-in-one outfit and a mask

We also had the usual anti-mosquito sprays, anti-malaria tablets, dehydration tablets as well as some of our own food provisions plus sleeping bags and camping equipment.

The north of Liberia is under-developed with poor infrastructure and few resources in a country which is one of the poorest in the world.

The road journey to the north from the Liberian capital Monrovia took nine hours on mostly unmarked, unpaved roads. It was a bone-jangling experience travelling to Foya, right on the northern tip of Liberia and very close to the border with Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Our first sight of the infection wards was a large blue tented area. The medics have tried to rename it as a treatment centre but few seem to have bought into the new name.

Once anyone is diagnosed or even suspected of having Ebola, they are immediately segregated and taken there, where few others want to enter.

Those who do, underwent a series of stringent disinfecting procedures to ensure they did not catch the virus or leave with it to spread it further among the outside population.

The soles of our shoes were sprayed with disinfectant and we were ordered to wash our hands with chlorine. I inadvertently touched the wooden post marking the entrance and am told to re-wash my hands.

Once inside, nurse Adeyemi Babatunde took care of us, leading us first into the low-risk area where we were kitted up. Dave had already encased the camera in a sealed plastic container.

The first thing we were asked to do is put on gloves, then we slipped on scrubs before we all start putting on the PPE (personal protection equipment).

The medical team provided us with their equipment so our Sky-provided gear was untouched.

Then she covered her face with a large hood and visor

We put on rubber boots, then climbed into all-in-one waterproof outfits. The temperature was 37C inside the tent and with the all-in-one plastic outfit on I could feel my body temperature climbing fast.

Next was the mouth guard followed by a huge hood which had panels covering my neck and front. We put visors on top, a second pair of thicker gloves and by this time, I could barely breathe.

"Breathe through your mouth," I was told. "Don't touch anything when you are inside," Nurse Adeyemi said.

"If you feel uncomfortable then leave quickly without touching anything."

The final piece of clothing was a huge plastic apron which reaches from just below my neck and hangs right down my body to just above my ankles. The whole process has taken a good three-quarters of an hour.

Nurse Adeyemi guided us through a series of marked lanes inside the body of the tent.

"The infection ward is separated into two areas," he explained.

"Those who are suspected of having Ebola, and those who are confirmed. We only ever pass from the suspected area to the confirmed - never back the other way. After the confirmed area, the only route is out."

With all the plastic and rubber on us, we were crinkling with every step and sweating profusely by this time. The nurses have to kit themselves out in this gear every time they enter the infected area.

On leaving there was a laborious series of disinfecting steps to take to ensure outside remains virus-free - including the burning of all the kit, gloves and all-in-one outfits.

They kept the rubber boots and plastic aprons only after dunking them in several buckets of disinfectant. The work is both dangerous and difficult and the workers risk their lives every time they enter the infected zone.

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Africa Battles To Stop Deadly Spread Of Ebola

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, In Liberia

The worst Ebola outbreak ever is spreading and will almost certainly extend across West Africa unless there is cross-country co-operation and urgent international assistance.

The porous borders between Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has meant the disease is not being contained and now risks spreading even further.

Health workers at the epicentre, where the borders of the three countries meet, have made an urgent appeal through Sky News for immediate international help to try to control the virus.

Philip Azumah, the Foya district health officer, said: "We need help now, or the virus will spread and kill more people."

The latest outbreak has spread to three countries

It is difficult to determine exactly how many people have already died from the disease given the cross-border contamination and lack of accounting.

But it is already clear there are many more deaths than any previous outbreak.

Aid organisation Doctors Without Borders has already said it is the largest outbreak on record, with the highest number of deaths.

Across the three countries, more than 400 have died in this latest outbreak, with no sign of the disease being halted.

And for the first time the disease has spread to highly populated areas including cities such as Guinea's capital, Conakry.

At one of the high-risk infection centres set up in Foya, in Liberia, the medics insisted we, like them, took extreme precautions.

This included wearing two layers of protective head-to-toe clothing featuring one waterproof all-in-one outfit, face and head masks, double gloves, thick plastic aprons, sturdy goggles and rubber boots.

Among the victims was a nurse who contracted Ebola after caring for a person who later died from the virus.

Elizabeth Smith was too weak to raise her head

Nurse Elizabeth Smith was lying on a bed next to another nurse who had contracted Ebola from the same patient they had both treated.

But Ms Smith was significantly weaker than her co-worker. She did not raise her head as we entered and her bed was soaked in blood.

Neither woman had realised they were treating a patient with Ebola, so had taken none of the precautions their colleagues were now taking.

Two of them sprayed Ms Smith with disinfectant, down her legs, her feet, her hands and arms as they stood arms-length away in their head-to-toe protective clothing and visors. Gingerly, they took her arms and helped her to her feet, before escorting her down the tent corridor to the high-risk area.

The nurse contracted Ebola treating another victim

Here, every patient is a confirmed Ebola case and the odds are that 90% of them will die.

The frightening deadliness of Ebola, plus the ignorance around it and the lack of a cure, has thrown the medical staff in this area into a panic.

Francis Forndia, administrator for Foya-Borma Hospital, where medical staff have died after treating victims, told us his workers simply fled after nurses began dying.

"It is hard to get them to return, but we have managed to persuade some to come back by explaining to them how needed they are," he said.

Mr Azumah is co-ordinating the health battle against Ebola in this area. He tells me the first recent outbreak in Liberia was in March, when an infected woman travelled to Foya from Guinea.

She died two days after being admitted to the sole and tiny hospital in Foya. By the time of her death, she had infected eleven people in hospital alone.

Officials say cultural traditions have helped spread the virus

Two of them were nurses who went on to die. The remaining nine somehow managed to survive.

Then Liberia went a solid three weeks without an incident and believed they were clear - until the end of May.

This time, a woman from Sierra Leone, probably out of fear, gave misleading information about where she had come from.

She told investigators she was local, which was true, but did not mention she had in fact spent some time in an infected area of Sierra Leone.

This time the consequences were much more widespread. She had infected a stream of people, six of whom died.

They are still trying to trace all those she may have been in contact with.

There have since been other outbreaks in Voinjamma and the Liberian capital, Monrovia, while Guinea and Sierra Leone continue to register deaths, too.

Mr Azumah said: "In our culture, it is the habit to wash the dead body, look after it for a week in the home, kiss and touch it, even eat meals with the dead body - and we believe this has led to the virus spreading.

"Also people are keeping the illnesses and deaths secret if they suspect Ebola."

By alerting the authorities to possible Ebola, people risk being ostracised by their communities.

There is even a fear among these poverty stricken communities that the visiting health workers are spreading the virus.

But what seems significant is that, in Liberia at least, one of the poorest countries in the world, they are largely coping with this virulent disease on their own - with very little outside help evident.

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Clashes Erupt As Teen Found Dead In Jerusalem

Protesters in Jerusalem have clashed with police as the discovery of the body of an Arab teenager heightens tensions over the deaths of three Israeli youths.

Sky News' Middle East reporter Tom Rayner said violence broke out in the city's Shuafat refugee camp as news of the discovery spread.

Video footage posted online appears to show protesters throwing rocks at Israeli police.

Special forces have been sent in and roads have been closed around the area.

A Palestinian teenager, believed to be from the same camp, was reported missing hours earlier.

Violence broke out after reports a Palestinian youth was abducted

Witnesses reported seeing him forced into a vehicle outside a supermarket in the Shoafat section of the city. 

Israeli police are investigating links between the abduction and the discovery of a body in the Jerusalem Forest in West Jerusalem shortly afterwards.

Israel's Ynet website reported that it was charred and showed signs of violence.

One security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said officials suspect the youth was killed in retribution for the deaths of three Israeli teenagers whose bodies were found in the West Bank on Monday.

Jewish youths mourn next to the graves of the three boys

Israel has accused the Palestinian militant group Hamas of abducting and killing Gilad Shaar, 16, Eyal Yifrach, 19, and Naftali Frenkel, 16.

They went missing while hitchhiking home from the Jewish seminaries where they studied near Hebron.

Their deaths have prompted calls for revenge from Israel.

Police in Jerusalem said 47 Israelis were arrested overnight after attending a hardline "anti-Arab" protest in the city.

Meanwhile Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will continue to hunt those he believes are responsible for their deaths.

The Israeli army has launched its largest ground operation for 10 years.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Netanyahu said: "Whoever was involved in the kidnapping and the murder will bear the consequences. We will neither rest nor slow down until we reach the last of them and it does not matter where they will try to hide."

Mr Netanyahu also warned Israel's response would include stepping up military activity in Hamas-controlled Gaza if rocket fire out of the territory continues.

"The Israeli Defence Force has been active in recent days against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and here as well we are still active," he said.

"If need be, we will expand the operation as much as is needed."

The Israeli army has also launched its largest ground operation in the West Bank for 10 years and arrested nearly 400 Hamas operatives.

Overnight the Israeli air force carried out airstrikes on 34 targets, including a Hamas compound, the military said.

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Russia Accuses US Over Ukraine Confrontation

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the US of encouraging Ukraine into a confrontation with Moscow.

And he claimed the chances of resolving the Cold War-style crisis would be better if only Russia and Europe were involved.

Mr Lavrov suggested the US was an obstacle to settling the Ukraine conflict

Speaking on television, Mr Lavrov said: "Our American colleagues still prefer to push the Ukrainian leadership toward a confrontational path."

It came after EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Friday decided against immediately imposing new sanctions on Russia for destabilising eastern Ukraine, but gave Moscow and pro-Russian separatists until Monday to take steps to improve the situation.

Ukraine has also extended a ceasefire by its forces for 72 hours.

EU leaders also signed agreements with Ukraine and two other former Soviet states, Moldova and Georgia, to establish closer political and economic links with Europe.

Kiev celebrated the historic agreement between Ukraine and the EU

It was the decision of the former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych to ditch a deal with Europe in favour of a pact with Russia which triggered protests culminating in his overthrow earlier this year.

Moscow responded by annexing the mainly Russian-speaking Crimea in March, that led to pro-Moscow separatists rise up in eastern Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "The UK is firmly committed to the prosperity of these sovereign and independent countries, which are signalling their determination to forge closer political and economic links with Europe.

"I look forward to ever closer relationships that will better the lives of their people and contribute to prosperity across the region."

The Foreign Office predicted that the completion of the agreements could result in GDP growth in Georgia of €292m (£234m) a year and €1.2bn (£960m) in Ukraine, while boosting Moldova's national income by 5.4% annually.

Ukraine is seeking to increase its gas production after Russia cut exports

Meanwhile, Ukraine is seeking to increase its own gas production after Russia's state-controlled gas company, Gazprom, cut exports to the country, after talks to settle a debt and agree a lower price broke down.

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Benghazi: Man Denies Part In Consulate Attack

A Libyan militia leader has pleaded not guilty to a terrorism charge relating to the 2012 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, that killed four Americans.

Ahmed Abu Khatallah was transferred to the US District Court in Washington on Saturday morning from a Navy warship.

He had been held and interrogated since his June 15 capture by American special operations forces in Libya.

Federal Marshals patrol outside the federal courthouse in Washington

He was charged at an afternoon hearing with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists resulting in death.

The attack in Benghazi killed US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, the Justice Department said. The department said it intended to file additional charges shortly.

Ambassador Chris Stevens was one of those who died in the attack

Khatallah was not shackled when he appeared before Magistrate Judge John Facciola and kept his hands behind him as he gave answers through an interpreter.

He wore a dark hoodie and black trousers and had long grey hair and a grey beard.

Libyan officials have said the US operation to arrest Khatallah was an attack on their country's sovereignty.

Four Americans died in the raid on September 11, 2012

Justice Minister Saleh al Marghani said the suspect should be returned to Libya to face trial.

Khattala was snatched on the outskirts of the city by American special forces working alongside the FBI.

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Iraqi Troops Strike Back In Tikrit Offensive

Thousands of Iraqi troops backed by tanks, warplanes and helicopter gunships have launched their biggest counteroffensive yet against ISIS militants in Tikrit.

There have been conflicting reports as to just how much headway the Iraqi military has made in its advance on Tikrit - the hometown of Saddam Hussein which fell to the insurgents on June 11.

Following two weeks of demoralising defeats, the military has claimed to have regained control of the northern city - but the rebels have insisted they are still in charge.

As the "large military operation" started, Staff Lieutenant General Sabah Fatlawi warned the insurgents they had two choices: "flee or be killed".

Witnesses reported heavy clashes as troops moved in from the west.

Iraqi forces advance on Tikrit from the direction of Samarra in the south

Troops in helicopters landed at a strategically located university campus, with sporadic clashes reported throughout the day.

Prime minister Nouri al Maliki's security spokesman said warplanes were targeting insurgents there.

Lieutenant General Qassem Atta said security forces were also now in full control of a key road from Baghdad to Samarra, between the capital and Tikrit.

He said there was coordination with the US, which has deployed special operations forces to Iraq, over "studying important targets", without elaborating.

Sky's Senior Correspondent Michelle Clifford, who is in Baghdad, said if the recapture of Tikrit is true, "it would not only be a strategic but a symbolically significant victory".

Special operations forces hunting down ISIS militants

"The government is desperate to portray this as a victory because of the humiliating capitulation by the Iraqi forces in the early days of the insurgency," she added.

Twenty security personnel - nine soldiers and 11 police officers - were killed in clashes on Saturday in three areas southwest of Baghdad, doctors said.

Top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani has urged Iraq's political leaders to unite and form a new government as the new parliament elected on April 30 convenes on Tuesday.

World leaders have insisted on a political settlement among Iraq's Shia Arab, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities.

Mr al Maliki, who has publicly focused on a military response to the crisis, has acknowledged that political measures are also necessary.

The foundations of Iraq 'are under threat'

On Saturday, Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in Damascus: "Russia will not remain passive to the attempts by some groups to spread terrorism in the region.

"The situation is very dangerous in Iraq and the foundations of the Iraqi state are under threat."

Baghdad has agreed to buy more than a dozen Sukhoi warplanes from Russia and Belarus in a deal that could be worth up to $500m (£295m).

Iraqi state TV quoted Lt Gen Atta as saying Sukhoi jets had arrived, without specifying how many.

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